Gas range



Oct. 4, 1949 I M VES 2,483,562

GAS RANGE Filed Aug. 22, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 may gHerbwc Qeeves :w-7%,

f-l. M. REEVES .Oct. 4, 1949.

GAS RANGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1945 Patented Oct. 4, 1949 GAS RANGE Herbert M Reeves, Kankakee, 111., assignor to Florence Stove Company, Gardner, Mass, av corporation.0f,Massachusetts ApplicationAugust 22, 1945, ScrialNo. 611,945,

LCIa-im. 1,,

The invention relates to gasranges generally and more particularly to table top gas ranges.

Gas ranges of the above general character are usually provided with a cooking top which occupies approximately one-half of the topv surface of the range. The cooking top may. belocated at one side of-the range or it may; be divided into two sections-located at opposite sides of the range, In either case, the remain-ingportion of the range top is commonly called-the.workingtop. f.

Oven and storage compartments customarily underlie the cooking and working tops insideby-side relation.v

In ranges, of: the above type as; heretofore constructed, the, working; top; is, formed; by the top member of; the stove body which consists of a relatively thinsheet metal panelrenameled to match the stove body. Such: aworking, top provides a convenient place for restin pots, and pans but has little utility otherwise as the enameled surface is frangible .andeasily: marred.

With the above in View, the general object: of the invention is to improve the top construction of table top ranges so as to utilize-the work.- ing top to, better advantage than has 11861111305? sible heretofore.

Another object is to provide an. improved range top construction including a, practical; and durable working top with a cover. therefore so constructed and arranged asto permit the cover to be, retracted into; the body of; the range without obscuring the view of; accessories mounted adj acent, the rear; of the range,

A further object is to-provide, a range 170110011.- struction adapted to accommodate a. Working top member, a griddle or an auxiliary burner as desired without requiring: any substantial changes in the stove body and at: aminimumcost.

My invention especially concerns table top ranges of the type in which both. the cooking and working tops are spacedabove; the oven. or storage compartments, thereby providing additional compartments one-of which; underlies the cooking top and constitutes the burner box; and the primary object of my inventionis. to provide an effectual Workingrtop surface together: with a cover for such surface movable downwardlyinto an underlying compartment forwardly of; the splasher-back or guard rail and to an; extent sufiicient to exposethe same toview While at; the same time providing a convenientlyaccessible storage space for-the usual cooking; accessorieslocated rearwardly of. the working; top.

2 will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a gas range embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of'the range showing the cover for the working top of the stove shifted to the open position.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the working top of the range.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of. the range taken in a vertical plane.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the working top of the range with a portion of the range body broken away to show details of the cover guiding structure,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of cover structure.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in. detail they preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend, to limit the invention'tothe specific form disclosed, butintend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

By way of illustration the invention has been shown and will; be described, herein as embodied in a table top gas range having-a generally rectangular body 5 having a cooking top 6 at one side and a working top 1: at the other side; The body 5 of the range is provided with twocompar-tments arranged in side-by-side relation and constituting oven or storage compartments, both being fitted with appropriate closure members 8. The cooking top is equipped with a plurality of top burners: 9- assembled in. a single compact group.- inthe cooking top and the latter is arranged to be closed by a hinged cover I8; An upstandingbackguard or splasher plate H extends along the rear edge of the rang top.

To facilitate cleaning, the top portion of the range body is constructed so as to locate the workin top I substantially, in the same plane as the cooking top 6. A removable cover l2 serves to closethe Working top when not in use, the cover I: being constructed to lie flush withv the cover l0: when both areclosed. The body 51 of the range is constructed to provide a compartment er jects anda van aees-Q theinv ntiorr L3 (Figs) of substantial depthbetween. the; top

of the range and an underlying oven or storage compartment.

In accordance with my invention, the working top I is limited in size and yet of ample dimensions to provide a practical working surface, and it is located forwardly above the compartment I3 and an opening provided immediately rearward of such area, permitting movement of the cover downwardly into the compartment. Since the cover is limited in depth or length in a front to rear direction, a substantial portion thereof is receivable into the compartment I3 notwithstanding the fact that this compartment is relatively shallow. As a result the cover I2 may be retracted within the compartment to expose the working top for use without obstructing the view of accessories on or in frontof the backguard II.

The opening through which the cover passes is in the form of a narrow slot formed in the range top along the rear edge of the working top, and preferably the cover is supported and guided for combined swinging and edgewise sliding movement through the opening from the horizontally closed position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 to 1 the substantially vertical open position shown in broken lines in the same figure. The space rear- Wardly of the slot I4 is used to advantage through the provision of -a shelf or ledge I5 upon which condiments or the like may be placed. In the exemplary embodiment; the shelf I5 is offset upwardly or raised with respect to the working top I to lie flush with the covers I and I2 when the latter are closed. Thus the stove presents a plane changes or modifications in the stove structure.

Thus the working top may be formed by a smooth flat plate I6 of stainless steel or the like providing a durable and practical working surface, or it may serve as a griddle as shown in Fig. 2, or to provide a support for a separate griddle. Alternatively, the Working top may be in the form of an auxiliary cooking top I! adapted to accommodate one or more auxiliary burners I8 as shown in Fig. 6.

a When the top is-used as a griddle, one or more burners I9 are provided for heating it. The burners I8 and I9 when used and also the top burners 9 are mounted within the compartment I3 which thus serves as a burner box for the same. For service as a burner box, the compartment I3 may be closed at the front by a fixed panel 20 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The cover l2 in its preferred form comprises a flat generally rectangular sheet metal panel 2| having a depending flange 22 extending around its marginal edge. The lower edge of the flange may be turned in as at 23 (Fig. to present a finished appearance. At opposite sides and adjacent the rear of the panel, the inturned edge 23 is increased substantially in width to provide a pair of relatively wide bearing surfaces 24 by which the cover is supported and guided as will appear presently. The rear section of the flange 23 may be turned outwardly to form a wing portion 25 (Figs. 4 and 5) adapted to fit under and cooperate with a head 26 on the front edge of the shelf I5 to effectually close the gap between the shelf and the cover when the latter is in closed position.

Means is provided for securing the cover I2 to the range body and for guiding it between a closed or horizontal position overlying the working top I as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 through the slot I4 and into an open or substantially vertical position between the working top and the shelf I5 and with the major portion thereof disposed within the compartment I3 below the plane of the working top as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The guiding means, as herein shown, includes a hinge member in the form of a generally U-shaped bail 30 having laterally spaced arms 3I terminating in inwardly turned end portions 32. The ends of the arms 3| are pivotally secured to the cover I2 adjacent its rear edge as by clamping elements 33 bolted or otherwise removably attached to the wing portion 25 of the cover and extending over the end portions 32 of the arms and in clamping engagement therewith. Brackets 34 rigidly mounted within the range body pivotally support the body of the bail 30.

Cooperating with the bail 30 in guiding cover I2 between open and closed positions are a pair of rollers 35 disposed forwardly of the opening I4 in the range top and at opposite sides of the working top I for engagement with the guide surfaces 24 of the cover. The rollers 35 are journaled on studs 36 carried respectively on the cooking top 6 and one side wall of the range and are disposed so as to project slightly above the surface of the Working top I as shown in Fig. 4. Thus the rollers are effective to support the cover when in the closed position. As will be seen by reference to Fig. 5 of the drawings, the rear corner portions of the working top member I6 are notched as at 31 for the'accommodation of the rollers 35 and the guide elements 24 when the cover is swung to open position. The arms SI of the bail may be bent upwardly as at 38 (Figs. 4 and 5) adjacent their outer ends to clear the rollers 35.

Through the action of the guide means above described, the cover I2 may be swung from the closed position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 to the open position shown in Fig. 5 by lifting its front edge and sliding it bodily through the opening I4. In the opening movement, the cover pivots as well as slides over the rollers 35 under the guidance of the bail 30 which automatically tilts the cover at the correct angle and locates it in a substantially vertical plane when fully opened. In the closing of the cover the movements are simply reversed.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of the cover having built-in shields or splash guards 4B for opposite sides of the working top I. The guards M, which may comprise elongated flat panels of sheet metal or other suitable material, are mounted on the cover I2 adjacent its front edge and are arranged to pivot about axes parallel to and closely adjacent the sides of the cover. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the guards are mounted on pivot pins 4I seated in the flange 22 of the cover.

The arrangement of the guards 43 is such that when the cover is to be closed, the guards may be folded up against the underside thereof within the space defined by the flange 22. Thus the guards are located in an out of the way position and the cover is permitted to lie flat against the working top of the range. Suitable detents may be provided for holding the guards in folded position. When the cover is moved to open position, the guards may be swung out to the positions shown in Fig. 6 thus effectively shielding the opposite sides of the working top I.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention provides a range top construction of novel and improved form. By limiting the area of the working top and locating it forwardly of the underlying compartment, a substantial portion of its cover may be received in such compartment, even though the latter is relatively shallow. At the same time, the portion which projects upwardly from the top is spaced forwardly from the backguard I I so as to accommodate a shelf for accessories, and the latter are conveniently accessible because the extent of upward projection is not excessive.

I claim as my invention:

In a range having a body with laterally disposed compartments and a flat top with an upstanding backguard at its rear edge, said top including a cooking top section-and a working top section arranged in side by side relation, a top plate providing a working surface disposed in the forward portion of said working top section with its rear edge spaced a substantial distance forwardly of said backguard, means forming a storage shelf between the backguard and said working surface disposed in a plane ofiset upwardly with respect to the plane of the working surface and the cooking top section, movable covers for covering said cooking top section and said working surface adapted when closed to lie flush with said storage shelf, said working top section having an opening between said storage shelf and said working surface for receiving the working surface cover, the space between said working top section and the top of the underlying compartment being dimensioned to accommodate a substantial portion of said working surface cover below the plane of the working top section.

HERBERT M. REEVES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

